A political party is an alliance of like-minded people who work
together to win elections and control of the government. Political parties compete
against one another for political power and for the ability to put their
philosophies and policies into effect.
Many voters demonstrate party identification, even though they do
not formally belong to a party. So a voter might claim to be a Democrat, even though
she does not pay dues, hold a membership card, or technically belong to that party.
Other voters see themselves as independents: These voters do not
belonging to any party, and they willingly vote for the best candidate regardless of
that person’s party affiliation.
Political socialization influences party identification. Family beliefs,
education, socioeconomic conditions, and recent political events all help determine
whether a person chooses to identify with a political party.
Party Organization
Party organization is the formal structure and leadership of
a particular party. The major parties in the United States do not have a single
party organization; rather, they have a series of organizations that cooperate
to win elections. These organizations include the following:
- National party committees
- State party committees
- County party committees
- Party committees in Congress
Although the national party committee nominally functions as the head of
the party, the national committee cannot force other party organizations to do
what it wants. Sometimes different party organizations argue with one another
about how to achieve their goals.
Example: Following the 2004
presidential election, former Vermont governor Howard Dean became the chair
of the Democratic National Committee. Working toward the 2008 elections,
Dean clashed with Rahm Emmanuel, a representative from Illinois and the
chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, over how to spend
party money. Dean wanted to spend the money building grassroots party
organizations in every state (particularly in states that favor
Republicans), whereas Emmanuel wanted to spend the money supporting
candidates in specific races that are more likely to be won.
Party Functions
In the United States, parties perform many functions:
-
Recruit candidates: Parties want to win elections, so
they must recruit people who are likely to win.
-
Organize elections: Parties work hard to mobilize voters,
encourage people to volunteer at the polls, and organize campaigns.
-
Hold conventions: Every four years, the parties hold
national conventions to formally declare the party’s
platform and to choose the party’s presidential and vice-presidential
nominees.
-
Unite factions: Parties are not centered on a person but
on a set of policy positions known as the party platform. The
platform brings together a wide range of people with similar interests.
-
Ensure plurality: The out-of-power party articulates its
views in opposition to the ruling party. By doing this, the opposition party
gives the public an alternative.
National Conventions
Convention delegates are the party members or officials
who vote on nominations and ratify their party’s platform. Delegates are
party activists, people who believe so strongly in the
ideology of their parties that they devote time and energy to working on the
platform. Nowadays, conventions primarily serve as large-scale
advertisements for the parties. In recent years, party leaders carefully
choreographed conventions to present a united front and to put a positive
face on their party. Controversial issues are sometimes avoided, whereas
speeches aim for broad appeal.
